Exploring Stages Of A Relationship Every Couple Goes Through

We all get into many relationships and get out of many relationships. It’s part and parcel of life but have you ever wondered what it is that does not make your relationships last longer or stay forever? Relationships are very fragile and so are the people involved in relationships.

If you’ve ever been in a relationship, I’m sure you must have noticed that over time your relationship felt different from time to time. This is because when you’re in a relationship you go through some stages. Only after passing all the stages of a relationship smoothly, can you reach a place where you live happily ever after.

Unlike what the cinema has shown us for years, a happily ever after does not happen after you’ve accepted and confessed your love.

A happily ever after is a stage that is achieved much after you’ve experienced all sorts of ups and downs in a relationship. It comes only if you can transition smoothly from each stage of a relationship.

Let’s look at the different stages of a relationship so that we can understand relationships better and also understand how they may affect our emotional and mental health…

4 Stages Of A Relationship

According to various relationship experts, there are various stages of a relationship. Today we are going to talk about the 4 main stages of relationships which were found out by a team of neuroscientists, love experts & relationship experts.

Let’s have a look at the 4 main stages of a relationship;

Stage 1. The Euphoric Stage – 6 months to 24 months (2 years)

The euphoric stage is the initial stage of a relationship where you fall in love with the person. This falling in love stage is considered to be the most beautiful stage. This is so because suddenly your world has become a better place. You look forward to your days because you’ll get to see the person you love.

In this stage, your life revolves around the person you love. They are your only priority; you can leave anything for them. You invest all your energy in making them feel happy. During this time, you need to realize that you have other important things in your life too.

If in this stage of the relationship you put other important things on hold, you’re most likely to experience stress and burnout later. You should know how to balance your life and give importance and time to each important thing in your life.

Stage 2. The Early Attachment Stage – 12 months (1 year) to 60 months (5 years)

The second stage of a relationship is known as the early attachment stage.  According to Fisher and Brown’s studies, it was found that the brain scan of people in the second stage of their relationship showed high levels of dopamine.

It was also seen that the part of the brain that controls attachment and the related feeling was also being used the most. In the second stage of your relationship, you deal with a lot of ups and downs together and that makes you feel attached to your partner even stronger.

Also read: Effective Steps To Heal From Unhealthy Attachment Styles In Relationships

Stage 3. The Crisis Stage – 60 months (5 years) to 84 months (7 years)

The third stage of a relationship, the crisis stage is considered to be the most crucial stage of a relationship. This stage is where most breakup happens because by this time your expectations from one another are almost engraved on a stone.

This makes it very difficult for you to deal with disappointment because you don’t expect the other to not understand you at this point. Most couples at this stage of their relationship choose to have children.

But having children brings added responsibilities and expectations and only if you’re able to process this stage successfully, you can develop a deeper connection and attachment.  If at this stage your difference increases, you’re most likely to have an ugly break up making you vulnerable to various mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, etc.

Stage 4. The Deep Attachment Stage – 84 months (7 years) and beyond

Once you can overcome the third stage of a relationship (the crisis stage) you will enter the deep attachment stage.  In this stage, you will experience a very deep and pure connection with your partner.

It will almost feel like you know the other person in and out, you can predict their reaction. Having that kind of understanding can help you deal with a lot of challenges and difficulties that come your way. It’s the stage where you both have found equilibrium in your relationship.

However, taking the other for granted can ruin your relationship even at this stage. So, you need to maintain the sense of calm and security that you both have managed to bring to your relationship.

That’s All Folks!

I hope you found this blog about the stage of a relationship interesting, helpful, and thought-provoking. Do share this blog with your friends and family so that we can all understand our relationships better.

Thanks for reading.

Take care and stay safe.

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